Cumulonimbus
by thirtygoingon
Summary: Castle and Beckett hatch a plan after Alexis requests a weekend at the beach to take in a storm. They invite Esposito and Lanie along in a bid to get them back together but fail to realise the trip away may be the catalyst they need themselves. Fluffy.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: **So normally I write, and when the story is done, I start posting it. Because I don't have lots of time to write and wouldn't want to leave something half finished. But this one is something I wanted to get out before the new episode - or at least get the first chapters posted - and so it's not actually completed yet. Hence there may be a delay with new chapters. _

_As always, I'm delighted to receive any reviews & comments. Pleeeeease?_

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><p><strong>Cumulonimbus<strong>

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><p>"Dad!" Alexis bounded across the room as Castle came through the door of the loft.<p>

"Hey, Alexis. You're wearing that look that usually precedes a request of some sort."

She tilted her head and smiled in recognition of his recognition. "Yes, but you'll love it. Remember when I was 9 and we were at the beach and that storm came in? And we spent the whole night watching the rain and waves?"

"And we watched 'The Perfect Storm'," he nodded, recalling the evening. "And I'm pretty sure you finished a whole bag of marshmallows by yourself."

"Yes! Well I saw on the Weather Channel, there's a big storm due to come in over the coast this-"

"Wait, you were watching the Weather Channel?" He looked at her with a mixture of confusion and disgust. "You know we have about 1546 other channels? All of which have significantly more watchable programming? Although not if it's Jersey Shore, I'll give you that."

Alexis summoned her long-suffering look. "We have a geography project on weather systems, I was doing research."

"Oh." He nodded.

"Anyway, there's a storm coming in and I thought, how cool would it be to go out to the beach house and sit through it again?"

"Oh, Alexis. I'm not sure I've ever been more proud of you," he tucked her under an arm and kissed the top of her head, "Wait, this isn't part of your school work is it?"

"Not really... I had the idea while I was studying, and I would be able to use the experience in the project... But mostly I just wanted to make s'mores and listen to the rain and wind, and pretend we're on a boat in the middle of the ocean."

"Sweetheart, I can think of nothing I'd rather do. This weekend you say?"

Alexis nodded.

"It's a date then. Does Gram want to come?"

"I asked, but you know how she feels about anything more than a breeze. Besides, her school is entering the decorating phase and she wants to start picking out drapes and floors."

"Well then it's best we get as far away as possible. Want to see the storm from the other side of the ocean?"

"The beach house is just fine, thanks Dad." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before heading for the stairs. He went to his office, dropping keys and wallet on the desk and flipping up the lid of his laptop to check the weather reports. He wanted to find out what time they definitely needed to be barricaded in by.

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><p>At the precinct the next day, Castle sat obediently in his chair by Beckett's desk as chaos reigned around him. Two bodies had been called in simultaneously, which may or may not have been linked, and there was some sort of visit from foreign dignitaries going on, and everyone seemed to be on the phone trying to deal with it all as well as their normal workload. Ryan had his desk phone balanced between his shoulder and ear, and was listening to his cell with his other ear, wearing the pained expression of a man who knew from bitter experience that it was best not to question the difference between serving fish or chicken.<p>

As it happened, Castle had been reveling in the mayhem until a few minutes ago, sweeping between rushing bodies with cups of coffee and a cookie in his mouth, flashing the sort of smile that made you believe he thought he was on a red carpet. He had been barked into his seat by Detective Beckett, who was trying to manage the two cases as they landed and frankly needed her partner to stop swanning about and give her a hand. Which is exactly what she told him, and why he now sat like a misbehaving child in the naughty chair.

A murmur washed over the noise in the bullpen and the volume dropped a little as the European officials, on a tour to see how NYPD worked and if any of their practices could be taken back to their countries, scanned the area and tried to engage in conversation. Unfortunately, someone hadn't noticed, and a bellow rang out from the far end of the room.

"I am NOT an asshat and I don't care if you're bringing someone else. I'm bringing a date too."

All eyes were fixed on Esposito as he hung up with a defiant and dramatic button push.

Castle leant in to Beckett a little and whispered behind his hand, "It's just not as satisfying as slamming a receiver down. Lacks the finesse."

"Yeah, Castle, that's what we were all thinking," she whispered back, dripping sarcasm through her teeth.

Esposito looked around and realised the silence he had created. He cleared his throat, pointed into a side room as if that was his plan all along, and moved hurriedly inside. A quiet chatter, rising to the previous loud hum, rose again around them as everyone returned to work.

"So Lanie's bringing a date to the wedding?" Castle asked Beckett, who was scribbling notes onto a pad on her desk.

"Sounds like it," she said, looking up to where Esposito had been.

"When are those two going to stop throwing sand at each other?"

"When they get out of the sandbox." She shook her head. "Neither of them are backing down. I didn't think it would go on this long."

"Denial is a powerful thing," Castle said, pondering the situation. Suddenly his face lit up and he turned back to Kate. "I have just had an awesome idea."

"Castle, no offense but your last 'awesome idea' was leaving a chocolate under my coffee mug and we know how that worked out." She glanced at the hint of a stain where the treat had melted.

"Well you were meant to find it quicker, who leaves a nice hot cup of coffee standing for twenty minutes?"

"A busy detective, that's who," she said, picking up a pen to start scribbling again.

"Ok, ok, listen to this. This weekend I'm taking Alexis out to the beach house for the storm. It's the perfect situation for getting two people to see the error of their romantic ways - rain and wind battering the windows, fire going, blankets, wine... You could invite Lanie, I'll invite Esposito, and before you know it - Esplanie!"

"I wish you'd stop calling them that," she said, then looked at him thoughtfully as she considered the idea. "You know, that could actually work, Castle. With all the weather, they wouldn't be able to hear each other bitching-"

"It's a five bed house, there would be plenty of room for them to," he lowered his head and looked out from below his brow, "make up."

Kate considered for a second more. "I'll call Lanie." She reached for her cell. "Wait! What's my cover story?"

"Cover story?"

"Yeah, why am I asking her to YOUR house, when it's cold and wet, and there's about to be a heavy storm?"

"Come now, Detective Beckett. Don't tell me you don't think that being trapped inside during a storm isn't one of the biggest thrills in life. With your clothes on, that is. Although that is optional." He looked at her sideways, teasingly. She looked back at him flatly.

"Seriously, Castle, what shall I say?"

"Just tell her that, I don't know, she needs a weekend away. Girly time. Chick flicks. Cocktails. Pillow fights in your underwear... Wait, that may just be me."

She twisted her mouth to one side. "I suppose it'll do. What're you going to tell Esposito?"

"Easy - Halo field trip. And he can drive the Ferrari."


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: **Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited (is that even a word anywhere else but here?) and especially those who reviewed - even a one word review makes my day (as everyone says, because it's a universal truth!). This chapter seems a bit short, it broke down a bit odd but it sort of ends in the right place I think. Anyway. Hope the story continues to live up to expectations!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

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><p>It wasn't until he was starting to make some dinner that night that it occurred to him. Alexis may not take kindly to the fact that he'd gone and turned their father-daughter weekend into a matchmaking exercise for his friends, and without even asking her. Ouch. He threw a few more peppers into the stir fry mix and tried to think of viable explanations for his betrayal. As he was searching for the sesame oil, and a good way to apologise for when whatever the excuse was didn't work out, the door clattered open and Alexis breezed through, coats, bags and umbrellas in all directions.<p>

"Hey, that smells good. Stir fry?"

He nodded. "Chicken or pork?" He waved two meat packages in the air. "Chicken."

"Chicken it is," he turned to put the pork strips back in the fridge, "And the little piggy cried wee wee wee, all the way home..."

"Dad," He turned back around, momentarily amused with his own little joke, and saw Alexis leaning on the counter. He leant over himself, contemplating whether this might be the moment to tell her about the slumber party he'd put together. "I know I asked if we could recreate our Perfect Storm weekend, but would you mind if I invited someone?" She looked up at him with guilty eyes, the kind he was very familiar with, being that he owned a pair of his own. Now, to play hurt or be honest?

"Sweetie, you have stolen my thunder, I might have invited some people today myself. Wait, who is this someone?"

"Emma. You met her a couple of weeks ago when we went to that party. She's in my project group too. Her parents just split up, and she's acting like it isn't a big deal because she's nearly 18 but she's really hurt and- hang on a minute yourself there, Father. What people?"

"Detective Esposito and Lanie, she's the pathologist. They're just MEANT to be together and if we can just get them away and make them..." He pushed his two pursed, puppet-face hands together and mushed his own lips into a kissing expression. Alexis tried to look at him disapprovingly but the smile gave her game away.

"Okay. Let's call it even."

He didn't change his expression but moved towards her cheek and planted one. "Who knew I could raise such a forgiving, smart, beautiful, forgiving - did I say forgiving? - daughter? Love you."

"Love you too, Dad. Good metaphor, by the way."

"Stolen thunder? Just thought I'd throw that out there, keeping with the theme." He poured a little more wine into his glass and tried not to look too self-satisfied.

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><p>When Kate and Lanie pulled up outside the house, neither one could help their reactions.<p>

"Holy mother of God." Lanie gasped up at the traditionally designed property. It certainly wasn't the biggest one they'd passed, but it was still obvious that this sort of thing went for no small amount of money. Kate's mouth had dropped open a little, and stayed that way as she leaned forward in the passenger seat to look up towards the second floor. Drifting to the side, she gazed out at the sand and sea beyond the house. It was stunning. It was also almost unbelievable that there was a heavy storm due tonight - the sky was practically clear, the sun was shining, and the fresh wind blew the occasional white tip onto a wave, making it look even more like a postcard.

"I am in the wrong business, girl. How many books has he written?"

"26." She answered quickly, still distracted by the view.

"Well hell. Think I could write up a few cases from an ME's perspective?" She shook her head, "Damn."

They unfolded from the car, and Kate climbed the steps to the deck and front door, key in hand. She unlocked it, and they both stepped in to an open plan style living area with light coloured couches and armchairs. Massive windows wrapped around two sides, and a fireplace was cut out of the wall opposite them. It was all immaculate, Castle had said he'd asked his regular company to come in and give the place a once over as he hadn't been there for a few months. A bench seat with striped cushion bordered the seating, and behind it was a kitchen area, all smooth, glossy surfaces and doors. They moved further into the house, exploring as children would, and found a dining area beyond the kitchen as well as two bedrooms and a shared bathroom. Lanie trotted up the staircase first and found three further bedrooms, all ensuite plus another bathroom with a whirlpool bath. Kate could hear her impressed whistles from where she was, head stuck out between two sliding doors which lead onto more decking, and, yes, there was the hot tub.

The slow hum of an engine getting closer cut into the air and Kate could see the red of Castle's car on the horizon as a mirage, then becoming something definite. This could be where it started to get tricky. She popped her head back inside, scoured the room with her eyes then saw the car keys on the kitchen counter. Scooting in, she swiped them into a pocket - no easy escape for Lanie. A call came from upstairs, shortly followed by a head appearing over banisters.

"Hey, I thought you said Castle was loaning us the place for the weekend?"

"He is."

"So how come he's pulling up outside now? I am not going to sit around here all weekend chaperoning you two, you know."

"No, I've got no idea- pulling up outside now?" She did her best 'incredulous' acting, and thought for a moment about the fact they really didn't have a plan for when this didn't work out. Damn Castle and his faith in the magic of the beach. Although she did have to concede it was a little magical. Summers there must be wonderful. "Wait, what do you mean 'chaperoning'?"

Lanie was heading for the front door, no doubt about to demand an explanation, and she hadn't even seen Esposito getting out of the car yet. Kate rushed around the decking that wrapped right around the house, to the front, only to realise she wasn't entirely sure what to do once she got there. She raised a hand to wave at Castle, who raised his arm back and looked ever so slightly tense about the meeting that was about to happen. Apparently even he didn't think their little plan was going to go well to begin with. Sure enough, it didn't.

"What's HE doing here?"

"What's SHE doing here?"

They spoke at the same time, and then cast identical glares at Kate and Castle.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Once again, thank you for the reviews and follows, this is quite a fun fic to write and I'm glad you're all enjoying it so far! I get a huge kick from all the feedback :) Again, this isn't hugely long but if I didn't break it here, it would have been over long. As always, let me know what you think!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

A matter of hours later, the four were working on the outside of the house pulling the shutters over the windows and putting away the loose outdoor furniture. Castle had one eye on the time, knowing Alexis and Emma were due to arrive soon, as he battened in the last window. Esposito dragged a garden chair past him, wearing the same dark look that he'd had since about ten minutes after arriving and realising he'd been set up. The darkness on his face was being mimicked by the clouds starting to form on the horizon.

"Castle, this plan of yours had better work because right now I can't face the thought of a night trapped inside with these two," Kate hissed at him as she carried some seat cushions through the sliding doors.

"Oh, it will. I'll light the fire, open a bottle, they'll be all over each other."

He looked over his shoulder at the sound of an engine, and there was a little blue car pulling up onto the drive, Alexis waving through the windshield as her friend steered the car into a space. He waved back, relieved they were here intact, and waited to greet them and take their bags.

Inside, Lanie pulled Kate over into the kitchen and deliberately away from the sulking form sat on the couch.

"I cannot believe you're doing this to me. This was Castle's idea, wasn't it?"

Kate gave her a non-committal look.

"Mmhmm." Lanie looked at her with the expression of someone who knew they'd just found a chink in the armour. "I thought so. I bet he wanted to get you up here, let the wind and rain come rattling up the house, suggest you might like to visit him in his bed if you get scared..."

"If that was the plan, how come he brought Javi, Lanie? And how come you're here?" She poked her in the shoulder. "Look, we just want you two to start seeing sense. Have a nice evening, no bodies or reports or fluid samples-"

"Oh, I don't know." Lanie grinned a little and nudged into Kate's side, which made Kate laugh. "Girl, what happens, happens. But he's just got to stop pissing. Me. Off!"

As they both laughed, Esposito frowned and got up off the couch to go and find Castle. He needed to have words. Before he got very far, Alexis, some other girl and Castle all piled through the door.

"Oh, sorry. Hey, Detective Esposito. This is my friend, Emma."

"Hey."

Both girls disappeared up the stairs, collecting the bags Castle had carried in for them.

"Yo." Esposito moved forward in what could best be described as a threatening manner, backing Castle up to the wall. "This was your idea, wasn't it?"

Castle, hands raised and trapped, came over slightly high pitched. "I, uh.."

"I don't know what you're playing at here, but I do not want to be laughed at all night like... like..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who's laughing? I'm not laughing. I'm definitely not laughing."

"No, but they are," he hissed, waving his arm in the direction of the kitchen.

"Just wait until the wind starts blowing. They won't be laughing then, no, in fact I'll bet Miss Parish over there will be very much in need of a strong, brave, special forces kinda guy to protect her from all the," he gestured to the windows, and let his voice sink to a whisper, "elements."

Esposito blinked, absorbing this point. "Yeah, well..." he backed off a little, "just so long as she doesn't start again."

Castle nodded in agreement, although he didn't have the faintest idea what it was that Lanie might start.

It rapidly started getting dark inside the house shortly after everyone had managed a civil meal of grilled steaks and baked potatoes, eaten not at the table that Alexis and Emma had carefully laid but by the one open door remaining and out on the deck as they all watched the weather changing in front of their eyes up and down the coastline and out to sea.

"Mr Castle, this is so cool. Thanks for letting me come along," Emma gushed a little as they gasped at a lightening fork in the distance. Castle stood by the same window next to the door, the one he had conceded would be safe to leave uncovered so they could look out from time to time. He draped an arm over Alexis' shoulder as she smiled up at him, clearly enjoying herself too.

"Just wait till it gets here and we put a movie on. It's about a million times better than any Dolby system you've ever heard."

"Hey, Castle. You got a projector here too? Halo with nature's surround sound could be pretty fine, y'know."

"No projector here. I try to keep the beach house a little more down to earth." He leaned over and flicked a switch on the wall, and a click then a whirring sound bounced around the room as the bench seat opened up and a huge plasma screen appeared, rising dramatically from within. Seeing all the jaws drop was a true sight to behold and made his Cheshire Cat grin grow wide.

"Castle, that may be your coolest toy yet," Kate said as she moved to look at the screen.

"He wanted to install a dry ice machine and lights for the full effect but the company said there wasn't room." Alexis added as she headed to a cabinet and slid open the door to reveal a veritable movie library. "What shall we watch?"

"Ooh, ooh," Castle rushed over to her, "I know the perfect film..." He reached out to grab the case just as a thunderclap boomed outside and everyone leapt in the air.

"Jesus," Esposito yelped as he backed away from the door.

"You know what? I'm just gonna get inside now and go find my rubber soled shoes." Lanie trotted off down the hall to the room she'd left her bag in.

"Looks like we're all stations go, then." Castle commented.

Kate reached out and swung the door shut, turning the key in the lock and having a look through the window. "Here it comes. Wow, Castle. This is amazing. Come and see."

He moved over to where she stood. The window was only small, which was why he had to get quite close to look over her shoulder, not because he wanted to explore her personal space in any way. "Wow." They could actually see a huge, black cloud, rain pouring from its underside and splashing back up from the sea, moving towards them. A bolt of lightening crackled out as they stood there, and the thunder rolled in a second behind it. The waves broke onto the beach full of foam, the sand below them glowing in the strange, yellowy light. "This is going to be a big one. I'm so glad we decided to do this." He squeezed her arm in excitement before he fully realised what he was doing, but she didn't respond - other than to look back at him with her own excitement dancing in her eyes. He hadn't thought that she might be as into all this as he was. Maybe one day he'd cease to be surprised by these hidden facets she kept under lock and key most of the time. But he doubted it, somehow.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N**: You guys are great, thank you so much for your thoughts! Now, this chapter and the next, I'm mostly happy with how they pan out but it did occur to me that they might seem... Rushed? Or like there should be other scenes. I didn't want to get too heavy with this fic which is why I'm sort of moving on at a pace (well, it feels like that compared to other things I've written anyway), but what do you think? Am I missing anything you'd think would improve the atmosphere? Let me know!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

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><p>The full on force of the weather had really kicked in by the time everyone was to be found in front of Castle's expert movie selection - "The Fog". They sat in various places around the room; Kate took an armchair and had swung her legs over the arm, Castle was on a two-seater. Alexis and Emma had chosen to sit on the floor with a blanket and a couple of cushions to hide behind. No-one was entirely sure if had been engineered that Lanie and Esposito had ended up sharing a couch, or whether the protagonists had made the decision themselves, but there they were - Esposito at one end, Lanie at the other with her feet curled under. Outside, raindrops that sounded the size and weight of bullets bounced off the wood, gusts of wind rattled the windows and howled around the rafters, and made the fire dance and spit sparks. Every so often, just as everyone had assumed the weather may be moving on, there was a bright flash of light and another crack of thunder.<p>

As the movie began to come to a close, Kate stretched a little, arching her back over the arm of the chair. She eyed Castle, whose eyes had drifted from the screen to her movement. "I get why this would be one of your favourite movies, Castle." She spoke in hushed tones so that only he, on the next seat over, could hear the words.

"Good, isn't it? Especially the hokey eighties effects."

"Mm. I was assuming it was more to do with the fact that a Castle saved the day."

"Well that certainly doesn't hurt. And they were only one letter off the real deal."

The screen was starting to fade to black, the room darker too for the lack of the ambient light. Castle dug a remote out from between the couch cushions and pressed a button so a select few room lights dimmed up smoothly to give just enough light for a warm glow. He bent back to throw another log onto the fire, whose embers had been abused by the weather and a little neglected. As he did, he felt a pressure on his foot and turned to see Alexis poking him. She nodded her head in the direction of the three seater and smiled at him.

He looked up through the dim light and saw what she was trying to tell him. The soft glow lit only the top most contours, but they were the contours of two people definitely joined at the mouth, hands occasionally glancing through the incandescence as they ran over each other. Castle couldn't help but smile, and moved to tap Kate's hand next to him only to find her reaching out to do the same to him. Their fingertips met unexpectedly and pulled away as if a spark had flickered there for a moment, but both shared a look of gentle delight at the scene before them.

Quietly, Alexis and her friend stood and whispered goodnights, carefully going the long way round the furniture to avoid any disturbance. Castle realised that his and Kate's fingertips had met again after the slight recoil, and he slipped his hand further down hers, pulling slightly to encourage her rise with him from their seats. She responded and they crept carefully around to the kitchen, removing themselves for discretion's sake. When they were far enough away, Castle seized Kate's other hand and squeezed, his shoulders raising and face splitting wide with an huge grin of glee. Kate couldn't stop her own smile and whispered, "We did it!" Castle was about to respond but a hand clamped over his mouth as there was some movement and Kate tried to contain a giggle as Lanie and Esposito staggered past the kitchen, the clink of a belt being discarded on the floor as they moved. She felt like a pre-teen at a sleepover; she hoped Castle wouldn't say anything ridiculous because she didn't have the composure to maintain any illusion of maturity at the moment. She removed her hand from his face once the amorous couple had passed and there was a clunk of a bedroom door closing behind them, and reached over to look at how much of the bottle of red was left. Castle's eyes, soft and glinting in the dim lighting, stayed on her face for a moment.

"Shall we?" He took the bottle from her hand and waved in the direction of the seating. She lead the way, and he flicked the switch to hide away the screen as he followed her. They descended onto the couch and Kate stretched to get their respective glasses from the coffee table. She held them both out for him to drain the remains of the bottle and then took a sip of hers as she passed him his. The giggles had gone but she still couldn't quite remove the upturned corners of her mouth. Neither could he, until there was a loud crash against the wall not far behind them and they both jumped.

"Probably storm debris," he explained, seeing quickly that there was no damage.

"I thought it had quietened down out there."

He shook his head. "The eye. This'll go on until the early hours."

"You know, a few years ago now I came this close to booking one of those storm chasing trips. Where you go after tornadoes."

"You did? That is awesome. Why didn't you do it?"

"Work. All our leave got cancelled because of protests... or a bomb threat... I don't remember."

"We should definitely do that this year. When's the storm season?"

"'We', Castle?"

He shrugged, smiling what she thought of his ladykiller smile. "This joint venture seemed to work out pretty well. And how on earth did you think you'd get away with leaving me behind while you recreated 'Twister'? Please."

Kate couldn't help her smile getting bigger again. "I can't deny it, this did work out pretty well tonight, Castle. I'm sorry I doubted you."

"And here we are now, on the couch of lurrrrve." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. She still smiled but looked away to empty her wine glass in one smooth swallow. "It's been a while since I let anyone tempt me with a fire, wine and a cheesy horror movie."

Castle, relaxing back into the cushions, just looked at her.

"I can't help but notice that it's been some time since you paraded any conquests too, Castle."

"Maybe I haven't been interested in anyone lately." He said it softly, remembering not to include the word 'else'. Her eyes were fixed on his, and they swam together in the warmth. The pause in conversation extended into something else as they sat there, holding each other's gaze and gentle smiles. He noticed her eyes flick ever so briefly to his mouth, and his own couldn't stop copying the glance. His body started to drift slowly as he began to lean towards her, as he realised this may be a now or never moment. But as he drew near, he suddenly stopped, their faces inches apart.

"What?" She said it almost teasingly, turning her head ever so slightly to one side but not breaking eye contact.

"You didn't move. I was expecting you to lean back. Normally this would be where you make that face you do, and walk off." An expression of confusion ran across his features and it took a lot from Kate not to laugh out loud. Instead, she raised an eyebrow of her own and reduced the distance between them even further.

"Maybe I don't want to," she whispered, voice low and smokey and a little teasing. But in a good way. A very good way. So she was completely taken aback when, after a pause of huge self-control, Castle leant back away from her. He said nothing, but ran a finger over his lips for a second before curling up one corner of his mouth in a sly smile and met her eyes, who were taking their turn to express confusion. He held the look for a pause that stretched out into the silence between them, and then stood up, taking both their wine glasses in one hand. Bending down over her, he put the other hand over hers, rested on the back of the couch, and let his own teasing look run wild as he whispered low into her ear, "Goodnight, Kate."

And with that, he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: **Thank you so much for the feedback, again, reviewers. I did wonder what sort of reaction I would get to the teasing at the end, and also to the fact that I didn't spend long with the Esplanie set-up (Sorry...!). This fic was never planned to be something that explored the depths of everyone's feelings, and I wanted to play with the recent teasing we've seen on the show because, well, that's just FUN. I also wanted to step away a little from the intensity of what our writer and muse would feel about their relationship - partly because I just wanted to write something a bit fluffy and a bit happy-go-lucky, and partly because I have the bones of a new story which will definitely be exploring Caskett in much more depth with a good dose of angst. There is also an element of letting you all decide what on earth they would be experiencing, a bit like the show. Either way, thank you for reading so far, and as always drop me a line to let me know any further thoughts!_

_P.S. Aren't storms the best?_

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

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><p>The low sun of the approaching winter crept under the drapes in the ground floor room and fell across Kate's eyes, making her blink awake and then bury her head in the pillow away from the unearthly brightness. Somewhere through the blinding light, the jumble of thoughts and memories rearranged themselves and she removed the pillow. It was quiet outside. The storm must have finally moved on. She twisted under the blankets to look towards the source of the light, putting a hand up to shade some of the glare. How did so much brightness manage to sneak through the shutters still closed over the glass? Still, she felt a desire to see what the outside world looked like after the natural rampage last night, so she rose from the bed pulling the top most blanket around her shoulders - it may have been sunny, but the air was crisp and cold - and tried to peek through the wooden slats. There wasn't much to be seen through such an obstruction, so she reached a finger through and felt around, eventually locating the old fashioned style toggle and managing to nudge it enough to allow a slight push before the covers swung open and the light blinded her once again. A hand over her face again allowed the bleaching of her eyes to calm down, and she could start to see the beach spread out before her. There were tide marks where the storm waves had deposited their load, so detritus littered the sand in an organised sort of way, filed according to size and weight. There were new branches and older driftwood, bits of rope, a large bucket, a sodden-looking pile of material, and a lot of seaweed. There didn't seem to be any bits of house. And into her view also walked a figure, down by the water's edge and silhouetted with the sun behind. The character bent to pick something up and looked at it for a moment before throwing it out to sea and walking on again.<p>

Castle dawdled along the shoreline, beachcombing for interesting items that may have appeared from the previous night's high seas. So far he'd not had a lot of luck, although there were some good shells that he'd collected for Alexis. One day he would finally find a gold doubloon, but for now it mostly seemed to be drinks cans and plastic bags. One of which was caught around his bare foot. As he disentangled himself, he glanced up at the house to see if there were any other signs of life yet. A shadowed figure appeared on the deck just as he turned away, and started to move down the steps and onto the sands, slowly making the way down the beach to the sea.

Kate was a little chilled in the fall air, and wrapped her arms around herself. She'd left the house wearing the vest and pyjama pants she'd slept in and although she quite liked the freshness of the cool outside, she was starting to wish she'd not left the blanket behind. She padded her way across the sand towards Castle, who was walking along the water's edge, also barefoot and in shorts, the ends of waves breaking over his toes as he went. He was scanning the ground, no doubt looking for lost treasure from a shipwreck, she thought with almost a small smile escaping her brain and revealing itself on her lips. She was nearly caught up before he turned and saw her, and he was just opening his mouth to greet her when she arrived in front of him, so close there was barely a thin line of light between them. It unbalanced him for a moment and one foot slipped back behind to take the weight as he leaned back. Before he could ask what was going on, he found his mouth trapped by hers and for a second he forgot to breathe. She kissed him hard, and the shock was only just melting into enjoyment when she pulled back and smiled right at him.

"You moved," she said.

* * *

><p>They arrived back to see Esposito and Lanie had dragged the table out of the storage cupboard and were sat at it - one on top of the other. Lanie rose from her position on Espo's lap as they came up the steps.<p>

"Did I just see what I thought I saw there?" She pointed a finger, scanning it back and forth between the pair.

"Yeah, is there something you'd like to tell us? Beckett? Castle?" Esposito grinned widely, clearly enjoying the boot being on the other foot.

Kate, who had been feeling pretty much in control of the situation until that moment, baulked for a second.

"Depends what you saw, Esplanie. I hardly feel either of you are ones to talk after the little show we caught last night," Castle raised an eyebrow.

"Just showing you how it's done, man," Esposito teased back. "Wait, what did you call me?"

Lanie swung an arm around his neck as she returned to his lap. "Looks like you taught him well, baby." She pecked him on the cheek, the only time her eyes moved away from trying to read the looks on the faces of Kate and Castle.

"Technically, it's Detective Beckett who seems to have learnt from you, Javier," Castle replied, flinching as he received a hefty whack on the arm.

"Castle!" Kate rounded on him.

"What?" He raised his arms in innocence. "Do I smell coffee?" He added quickly, seeing the steaming mugs on the table. He made a beeline for the door, catching Kate's wrist as he brushed past her and clasping it so she went with him inside as the couple watched with amusement and a hint of delight. As they stepped over the threshold and crossed towards the kitchen, Castle stopped and twisted his grip so Kate ended up with her back against the counter, his arms either side trapping her in place. She didn't hide the look of surprise and he caught the slight glimmer of concern in her eyes.

"Whilst there are many... _many _things I would very much like us to do right now," he breathed, the space between them slim once more, "We need to be careful."

She kept his gaze, "Because of those guys? Alexis?"

"Maybe. But mostly for you."

She frowned a little, her eyes drifting to one side and opened her mouth to respond, but didn't find the words in time.

"You're starting to get that look which means you're thinking too much. Look, let's just enjoy today. The sun's out, the beach is right there, we got our friends back together last night, and there's not a murder in sight. This can just be here and now."

"Dad?" Alexis was descending the stairs, and Kate slipped out from between Castle's arms as he stepped back to let her.

"Morning, sunshine. Is Emma up too?"

"She's showering. Want help with breakfast? Morning, Detective Beckett."

"Hi Alexis. You don't have to keep calling me that, you know. You can call me Kate."

"So, how are the lovebirds this morning?" Alexis said as she started getting packets from the fridge. Both Castle and Kate stopped in their tracks, their eyes meeting for a second of 'what did she see?' Alexis' head popped around the fridge door to look at them when the silence didn't answer her question.

"They're out on the deck. Mission accomplished." He saved a grin for Kate as Alexis disappeared behind the door again, and she smiled back before starting to move around the kitchen preparing pans and plates. As they passed each other, she raised herself on tiptoe to his ear.

"Ok. Today." she whispered, and continued on her way, a moment so brief that no-one else would barely recognise it as even existing, let alone realise the significance of everything the two words meant. It was time to let go and have some fun.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Postscript:<strong>__ That's the end of the line for this one :) However, and despite of what I said at the beginning of this chapter, I can't say I wasn't tempted on more than one occasion to expand this, fill out the scenes and add more. Because beach fluff would be SO MUCH FUN to write. And there could be a real interesting scene between the kiss and the coffee... Anyway. Also, please don't take the 'just here and now'/'today' line to mean I'm implying a one day affair. I'm working more with the idea that when you stop thinking, you start living, and when you can do that it can lead exciting places :-) Doesn't mean you never have to deal with the inevitable issues, but everything starts somewhere._

_ Overall, I hope you've enjoyed this ride, because I've had a blast writing it. Thank you for all the follows and favourites and reviews :)_


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